The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-02-23

mOlrS tell us little. Moreover Gen. Grant,
when he was in England, did not himself
personally interest people much. Later
he fell in America into the hands of fnan-
ceering spectators, and his. embarrass-
ments, though they excited sorrow and
compassion, did not at all present them
selves to us as those of "a good man
struggling with adversely" For all these
reasons, then the Personal Memoirs have
in England been received with GOODNESS
and Indifference.
81, too, had seen General Grant iu Eng
land and did not find him interesting
If I said the truth, I should say that I
thought him ordinary looking, dull and
silent. An expression of gentleness and
even sweetness in the eyes, which the
portraits in the memoirs show, escaped
me. A strong, resolute, bosiness-like man
who by possession of unlimited resources
in men and money, and by the unsparing
use of them, had been enabled to wear
down and exhaust the strength Of the
South, this was what supposed Grant to
be, this and little more.
"Some documents published by General
Badeau in the American newspapers first
attracted my serious attention to Grant.
Among those documents was a letter from
him which showed qualities for which in
the rapid and uncharitable view which
our cursory judgments of men SO often
take, had by no means given him credit.
1t was the letter of q man with the virtue,
rare everywhere, but more rare in Ameri-
ca, perhaps, than anywhere else, the yir-
tue of being able to confront and resist
popular clamor, the cirium ardor prara ju-
bentium. Public opinion seemed in favor
of "a hard and insolent course, the author
tiles seemed putting pressure upon Grant
to make him follow it, He resisted with
firmuess and dignity. After reading that
letter l turned TO General Grants Perso-
nal Memoirs, then just published. This
man, said to myself, deserves respect
and attention; and read the two bulky
volumes through.
II found shown in them man, strong,
resolutc and business-like, as Grant had
appeared to me when first saw him; a
mau with no magical possibility, touched
by no divine light and giving out none.
l found language all astray in it's use of
wiH and shall, should and could, an Eng
lish employing the verb to conscript' and
the patieiple 'conscripting', and speaking
in dispatch to the Secretary of War OF
having badly whippcd the enemy; an Eng
lish without charm and without high
breeding. But at the same time found
man Of sterling good sense swell as OF
the firmest resolution; a man, withal, hui
name, simple, modest; from all restless
selfconsci0usness and desire for display
perfectly free; never boastful where he
himself was concerned, and where his ma
ton was concerned seldom boastful, only
in circumstances where nothing but high
genius or high training, l suppose, can
save an American from being boastful. ]
found language straightforward, ner.
vous, and possessing in general the high
merit of saying clearly in the fewest pos.
sible words what had to be said, and say
ing it frequently, with shrewd and unex.
pected turns Of expression. The Memoirs
renewed and completed the impression,
which the letter given by General Badeau
had made upon me. And now want tt
enable Grant and his Memoirs as far al
possible to speak for themselves to the
English public, which knows them, be
licye, as imperfectly as few mouths age
myself did.
"His own account of his first experienc,
as Commander is very characteristic o
him.
My sensations as we approached wha
| supposed might be field of battle, wer,
anything but agreeable. l had been il
all the engagements in Mexico that it wa
possible for one person to be in; but no
in command. If some one else had beer
colonel and had been lieutenant-colone
do not think would have felt any trep
idation. Before we were prepared t
cross the Mississippi river at Quincy, m,
anxiety was relieved; for the men Of tn
besieged regiment came struggling int
the town. l am inclined to think boil
sides got frightened and ran away"
'Now, however, lie was started; an,
from this time until he received Lees sur
render at Appomattox Court House fou
years later, he was always the same stron
man, showing the same valuable qualities
He had not the pathos and dignity of Lee
his power of captivating the admiring in
terest, almost the admiring affection, Q
his profession and Of the world. He ha
not the fire, the celebrity, the genial co,
diality of Sherman, whose person an
, manner emitted a ray ito adopt, with
very slight change, Lambs well-know
linesl-
"a ray
i Which struck u cheer upon the day,